STEM student retention can be enhanced through mentorship & research experiences.
Jennifer Wang, Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Matthew Yeh, Paulson School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, Harvard University
James Newland, Texas Advanced Computing Center, University of Texas at Austin


Introduction
Effective mentorship programs that provide authentic research experiences can enhance retention of STEM students. Quantum Engineering Research and You (QuERY) is a collaboration between grad students and science teachers to mentor high school student researchers. QuERY uses mentorship to equip students with the skills necessary for research in quantum science, engineering, and computing. Throughout the semester, students work in small groups with their graduate student mentors via videoconferencing to develop a genuine research project. Culminates in an end-of-program research symposium, where mentors and students meet in person to present their work. Projects can be hands-on, coding or simulations, or theoretical content. Quantum science & engineering generates interest and enthusiasm among student researchers.


QuERY: Research & Mentoring
- Hybrid format: 40-60 high school students and 3 science teachers in person; 10 graduate student mentors virtual.
- Goal: science communication and excitement about science, as well as in-depth mentoring.
Program Structure/Timeline
- Mentor orientation & Kickoff (1 week): mentoring tips & protection policies
- Fundamentals of QM (9 weeks): tutorials + small group discussion: focused on building comfort with topics & getting to know the mentors, low barrier for students
- Project period (5 weeks): How to make a scientific poster:
- Sorted by research interests
- Groups choose the format of the project (journal club, science demo, or simulation)
- Groups present to their peers on last day with printed posters


Virtual Tutorials on Quantum
- Tutorials were a mix of physics content and the personal journey of the mentor scientist.
- Tutorial topics:
- Waves & Wave Mechanics
- Superposition & Entanglement
- Small group discussion topics:
- Quantization
- Quantum Logic

Hands-on Authentic Research Experiences
- Students create research products & demos
- Posters foster presentation skills


Poster Samples



Demographics

Feedback: Self-Efficacy
- > 70% of students reported gains on:
- Ability to contribute to science
- Discussing scientific concepts with others
- Working collaboratively with others
- Ability to do well in future science courses
Feedback: Mentorship
- > 80% of students reported positively on:
- Working relationship with mentor
- Time spent with mentor
- Career and school advice from mentor
Free Responses & Mentorship Continuity
- Students greatly appreciated the more interpersonal sections of talks highlighting mentors’ individual research/science journeys; key to building trust and more authentic interactions
- From 2023, 100% of students indicated “Yes” or “Maybe” when asked if they would contact their mentor in the future for help or advice, and all students would recommend QuERY to their peers.
- Students who have remained in contact with their mentor after completion of QuERY have experienced additional gains
- “I met wonderful people and found my passion for quantum computing. I want to pursue it in the future.”

Feedback: Motivation
- From 2024, over 50% of students wanted to participate in QuERY in order to:
- Explore interest in science
- Gain hands-on experience in research
- Clarify if they wanted to pursue a scientific research career
- Have a good intellectual challenge
- Participate in a program with a strong reputation
- Enhance my resume
Program details: Cost Breakdown
- Over 15 hybrid sessions, plus in-person final poster session
- Student food: $3000
- Mentor food/stipends: $1500
- Transportation and lodging: $7500
- Demo costs: $3000
- -> $15,000 in total, including 18% overhead
Demographics: Ethnicity

Ethnicity demographics are largely aligned with national averages for computer science [1]; we will pursue more targeted recruitment strategies in the future for better representation.
[1] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Employed persons by detailed occupation, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity,” Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey, Table 11, 2022.
Acknowledgments
This work is supported by the Harvard Quantum Initiative and the MIT Center for Quantum Engineering through the Interdisciplinary Quantum Information and Engineering (iQuiSE) program. M.Y. acknowledges support from the Department of Defense through the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship Program. J.W. acknowledges support from the National Science Foundation through the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) under Award No. DGE174503. We thank Evelyn L. Hu, Nishant Sule, Salma Abu Ayyash, and Susan Johnson for fruitful discussions.